Still: Violin

[HieSpike]

cool,
violin is looking very nice, and so is the glass.
I'd thin out the strings and work on the candle and table.
Try making the focus of the scene the violin with better camera placement and lighting...since the violin seems like the show piece.

keep it up,

peace,
Kane
:buttrock:

[Shaykai]

Thanks for replying Hiespike, thanks for the critiques, now that i do look at it, the strings doo seem a little thick, and as for the candle and table, i just made those tonight to help round out the scene, i'll be sure to work on them more. Originally that piece of glass was going to go around the candle, but i decided against it, i might turn that into a real glass with a drink in it maybe. Thanks again for your comments.

[AC_Shrike]

Overall, it just looks a bit too clean. Shouldn't the violin be made of wood? Even new objects have a few small scratches. I'd give the table and violin a few dings and scratches, or maybe grunge up a specular map for them. Pretty good modeling work, though. Also, the lighting is nice. The scene is just too clean and sterile.
Keep it up, I want to see more. :buttrock:
Also, as stated, thin the strings out a bit, maybe half that thick. And the strings are not straight, which makes them look as though they are too loose. Straighten those babies out!:surprised

[Shaykai]

Thanks for the critiques shrike! Yeah, i noticed the strings in that render too, :( i've never made a specular map before, but i guess nows a good a time as ever to learn! The violin does look a bit too glossy doesn't it ;) hehe, might have to tone that down quite a bit, make more woody instead of plasticy. Thanks again!

[Kogepan]

Hmm. Well, if that violin were real it would be completely unplayable... :surprised A couple things to note :

1. A violin's top is arched. Check your references... or get new ones...

2. A fingerboard (and the strings) are straight. On yours, however, there seems to be a dramatic change in direction where the neck meets the body. If you add the arch to the top this problem might correct itself. Otherwise you'll have to adjust the angle of the neck.

3. The curvature of a fingerboard is constant, whereas your model's is too flat at the nut and curved too much at the other end. And each string should be an equal and constant distance from the fingerboard. This is because the greater the distance between the fingerboard and the strings (the term for this is "action"), the more tension is required to push the string down to the fingerboard. So consistency is essential to comfortable, unencumbered playing.

That about covers it. Just some technical stuff. ;)

[Projectkmo]

Nice Violin! I dont think it was mentioned yet, but some facets are visible...in the curve of the table...and in the curve of the Violin body.....shouldnt take too many more Faces to smooth those out. That, and the texture on the table...it's not necissarliy wrong, but it seems it would look more real...if the texture didnt swirl around like it does...how it follows around the table almost concentrically to the center...

I like the candle and glass too! Maybe try seeting up the light so it appears to be lit by the candle? that'd be some nice mood lighting. = ) looks good though!! :thumbsup:

[Shaykai]

Thanks for the compliments Projectkmo! Yeah, the table and table texture were just quickies, i think it does look kinda odd circular, like it is just a piece of the tree where you can see the rings :P I'll have to fix that. I'm glad you liked my work :) I'll have to work more on that lighting too, i think it has great potential if i set the mood just right.

[AC_Shrike]

Shaykai,
I have to agree with the all comments following mine, but you're headed in the right direction, so keep it up.
I'm not sure, but it looks a though you're employing procedural textures only. If you want your violin to look its best, you'd be wise to carefully uvmap your violin's surfaces and apply some good image based textures. Its much much more work, but the results are far superior in most cases. Also, the uvmaping will allow you to make your bump, specular and reflectivity maps to control exactly what parts you want shiny, dull, scratched, etc.
Hang tough, you'll get it and if you have questions, ask in the forum. Someone always knows something. :buttrock:

[Shaykai]

heheh, the sad part is this is my first attempt at UV mapping :(
I learned a lot in this project, but the main thing i learned is that UV mapping is so freaking hard!! arg!! hehe, i found some tutorials on making the specularity mapping and bump mapping using the UVmap, so i'll post another render with that, hopefully it will look better.
Thanks for all your comments!

[AC_Shrike]

Heheheh, yes, the uvmapping is a bit of a monster at first, but it gets easier with experience. The good news is that now with max 5, its easier than ever to texture your models.
You might also consider giving Right Hemisphere's DeepUV plugin a try, although I suggest you get a firm grip on basic uvmapping first, lest DeepUV overwhelms you.
One more suggestion is to find some hi-resolution images of either violins, or take some good pics of fine wood. Those will make great texture fodder for you. If you look around hard enough, you can find everything you need on the 'Net. I'm a huge fan of weathered, damaged, beat-up looking objects, so my violin would probably look like it was unearthed and pryed from a caveman's fingers, heheh.
Let the forum know if you run into a snag. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Shaykai]

thanks for the comments. I don't know if i mentioned it, but i used maya for this, not max. And i also have a question, i just tried applying a phong to a beveled cube (the new table) and when i tried to import a file for the color section the object turns a gray color and goes semi-transperent and striped. I don't know what happened. It's happened a couple of times in this project. Anyone else have this problem? or know how to solve it?

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